Pumping unit



Feb. 13, 1940.

H. A. HOLZER I PUMPING UNIT Filed Sept. 14, 1938 3 Sheets-$heet l iINVENTOR Mia/n fl f/o/zer:

ATTORNEY Feb. 13, 1940. H. A..HOLZER PUMPING UNIT Filed Sept. 14, 1938 3Sheets-Sheet 2 I NVENTOR Mm! r2 lva/zer TTORNEY H. A. HOLZER PUMPINGUNIT Feb. 13, 1940.

Filed Sept. 14, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Feb. 13, 1940 1 UNITEDSTATE PUMPING n te V Hiram A. Holzer, Pittsburg, Rana, assignor to..United.lron.works' Company, a .corp'oration of Delaware lf'ittsburgRana,

Application September 14,1938, Serial No.- 229,907

--'I'his invention relates to apumping unitsuch movements of the rods,and to provide a variable counterbalance acting upon the rods incidentalto oscillation of the beam of the pumping unit. In accomplishing theseand other objects of the invention, as hereinafter described, I haveprovided improved details of structure, the preferred form of which isillustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a pumping unit constructed in accordancewith the present in-;

" construction thereof.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the unit vention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the pen dulum counterbalancemechanism, a part of which is shown in section to better showingthebeam'at the end of the downstroke illustrate the in full lines and attheend or the upstroke in dotted lines. a

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the unit. I

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the beam supporting'fork.

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of one of the pendulumcounterbalances and its associated bell crank. l

Fig. 7 is a cross-section through the pendulum on the line 'l--'! ofFig. 6, showing adjustable mounting of a pendulum weight.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

I designates a pumping unit constructed in;

accordance with the present invention, and which .includes longitudinalsills 2 and 3 preferably formed of I-beams and having base flanges 4adapted to seat on a suitable foundation 5. The base flanges 4 of thesills curve upwardly over the ends of the web 6 as indicated at 1 andB,to provide runners whereby the unit may be shifted to and from itsposition on the foundation 5. The sills'2 and; are connected at theirends by cross members 9 and I0 and at intermediate points along thelength thereof with suitable cross bracing so that they rigidly supportthe operating units mounted on the upper flanges ll thereof, as now tobe described.

Mounted on the flanges H, in spaced relation with the forward ends I ofthe sills, is a walking beam supporting structure or Samson post It?comprising side frames I3 and I! each having upwardly inclined legs I5and 16 connected at their upper ends by structural members 11 havingoutwardlydi'rcted flanges Hi to mount'bearings [9. The legs are alsoconnected at their lower ends at a point spaced above the flanges I I,by cross members 20, and at intermediate points by smaller cross members2| to form a rigid frame. spective side frames by gussets 22 areupwardly and rearwar'dlydirected angles 23 cooperating withsimilarangles 'flto mount a rest or seat 25 for the walking beam 26 whenit is to be moved to inoperative position. The side frames l3 and I4 mayalso be interconnected by suitable cross bracing to rigidly retain thespaced Attached to the legs I6 of the rerelation thereof. Oscillatablyjournalled in the u bearings] I 9 are the trunnions 21 of a beamsupporting and shifting fork28 having a body portion 29 carrying thetrunnions and upwardly extending arms 30 terminating in bearings 3| tomount the trunnions 32 of a conventional beam saddle 33h The beam 26 isillustrated in the drawings as comprising an I-beam, having a verticalweb 34 and upper and lower horizontal flanges 35 and 36, the centralportion of the beam preferably being stiffened by vertical andlongitudinal webbing 31 onthe respective sides of thebeam web as shownin Figs. 1 and 3; The beam saddle 33 is secured to the lower flange ofthe beam by suitable fastening devices 38 as in conventional practice.,Fixed to the forward end of the beam by brackets .39 and 40respectively attached to the upper and lowerfianges thereof is a head orrod hanger 4| consisting of plates 42 attachedto the brackets byfastening, devices such as bolts 43 and. extending through adjacentcor-, hers thereof, one of the boltsbeing removable sothatthe other mayserve as a pivot to swing the hanger upwardly over the top of the beamwhen pulling rods or servicing the well as in customary practice.

The plates 42 extend downwardly and forwardly and carry bearings. 45 tojournal a rod support 46. through which a polish rod 41 ex-, tends andis supported by a rod clamp "clamped thereon and-seated against theupper portion of the support as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

Fixed to the rear end of the beam is a bracket 49 carrying an equalizer50 consisting of spaced channel members Stand 52 connected at theircenters by a bracket 53 having upwardly ex? tending arms 54 to cooperatewith the bracket 49 vin mounting a connecting pin 55 by which theequalizeris pivotally connected with the nel members 5I and 52 of theequalizer are bearings 56 and 51 mounting a cross pin 58, carryingbearings 59 that connect with the upper ends of pitmans 60 and Bi havingtheir lower ends connected with actuated levers 62 and B3.

The actuating levers are arranged longitudinally of the respective sidesof the pumping unit and have their forward ends 64 journalled on studs65'projecting from brackets 66 mounted on the webs of the cross channels20, previously mentioned. The rear ends of the levers are formed toprovide slotted Wrist pin box guides" 61 which are of suilicient lengthto accommodate throw of the cranks 68 and 69 of a power unit Ill. spacedwebs 'II and 82 carrying bearings'IB mounting pivot pins-I4 to which thelower end of the pitman rods 60 and GI. are pivotally connected.

Slidable in the slotted guideway of the respective levers are wrist pinboxes I5 and I6 journalling the wrist pins I! of the crank arms 68and69. The power unit 18 is mounted on the rearends of the sillsandincludes a speed reducing mechanism indicated by the housing 19, thepower input shaft of which carries a pulley BI that is driven from adrive pulley 82 of a prime mover 83 through driving belts B l as clearlyshown in Figs. 1 and 3. The prime mover in the illustrated instance isan internal combustion engine mounted on the upper flanges of thelongitudinal sills at a point in the rear of the Samson-post structurepreviously described. I

In order to shift the beam during, oscillation thereof so as to maintaina. straight lift on the rods, the fork 28 has a depending arm 85 that isconnected by a link 86 with an arm 8! pivotally depending fromtheforward end of the beam. The connecting link 86 has yoke-shaped ends88 and 89 for receiving the heads 90 and 9| on the depending ends of thearms '85 and 81 respectively, and which are pivotally connectedtherewith by cross pins 82 and Q3. The upper end of the arm 8'! has ayoke S ipivotally .con-. nected with a depending ear on the beam by across pin 96.

Mounted on the forward ends of the sills are bearing supporting brackets9'! and 98 having bearings 99 and I06 and mounted therein are stubshafts NH and IE2 carrying bell cranks I03 and I04 having forwardlydirected arms I05 which have their terminal ends provided with bearingsI05 journalled on the ends of the pin 93 previously mentioned. 7

The depending arm 81, including the bell cranks I03 and I04, constitutesa part of a pendulum counterbalance unit II)? to counterbalance weightof the rods and fluid for -facilitating lift thereof, thereby impartinga smoother operation. The pendulum mechanism includes the otherlever-arms Hill of the respective bell cranks which project rearwardlyfrom the hubs of the bell cranks IE5 and IM at such an angle that whenthe forward end of the beam is at the upper end of its stroke the armsare located at an angle of approximately 15 with respect toperpendicular. The rearwardly' extending arms have-vertically slottedguideways I09 for adjustably mounting counterbalance weights I it. The'counterbalances are illustrated as consisting of substantially circulardisks having diametrical' grooves 'III and H2 on the opposite Side facesthereof to accommodate the side portions of the pendulum arms, the"upperland lower Extending upwardly-from the levers are" side faces H3and H4 of the grooves being slidable on laterally projecting flanges H5and H6 of the arms. In the illustrated instance the weights arediametrically bored and threaded as at II! to threadedly connect withadjustin shaftsjhaving ends I18 journalled in bearings H9 adjacent thehubs of the bell cranks and their opposite ends journalled in a plateI20 closing the slots in thefree ends of the" pendulum arms as bestshown in Fig. 2. The rear ends of the screw shafts have operating cranksI2I and the forward ends have groove shoulders 122- and I23 engaging therespective sides of the bearings IIQ so that when the screw shafts jarerotated bythe cranks the weights are adjusted along the respective armsto vary moments of the counterbalancing forces acting on the. pendulumlevers. If desired, the bell cranks may be provided with arms I24 toconnect with the pull rod I25 of a conventional pumping jack (notshown), so that the pumping unit may housed in pumping one or morewells.

The operation of a pumping unit constructed and assembled as described,is as follows:

Assuming the beam tobe in the position shown infuli lines in Fig. 3, andthe cranks rotating in the direction of the arrow, the Wrist pin boxslides toward the rear ends of the guides swinging the lever armsdownwardly and moving the forward end of the beam upwardly incidental tothe pull exerted on the pitman rods 60 and Iii. As the wrist pins moveacross top dead center the speed. of the rods gradually increases tomaximum when the wrist pins are swinging across horizontal centers. Asthe wrist pins are carried below horizontal position with respect toaxis of rotation, the speed of the rods gradually decreases to the pointwhere the wrist pins cross lower dead center where the lift approacheszero and the beam comes to rest at the upper end of its stroke. At thewrist pins move upwardly from bottom dead center direction of i the beamis reversed and the effective leverage acting upon the lever armsgradually shortens since the wrist pins are moving toward the fulcrumpoints thereof, consequently the arcuate movement of the lever armsincreases to produce a more rapid downward movement of the rods, whichgradually accelerates toward the horizontal position of the beam andthen gradually retards until the beam comes torest at its lowermostposition as the wrist pins are moving across top dead center.

It is thus apparent that the sliding wrist pin box connection of thepitman control levers with the cranks causes the rods'to move downwardlyat a more rapid rate and lift at a slower rate which is incorrespondence to load carried on the beam. Maximum power is appliedwhen the beam is lifting the weight of the rods, including thewellfluid, and minimum power when the: rods are moving downwardly in thewell. The forward end thereof is kept ina perpen dicular line of travelso that the pull of the rods is applied directly in line with the axisthereof. For explanation, as the depending arm 81 is reciprocatedincidental to rocking movement of the beam, the bellcranksl03 and I04,connected therewith, are moved in an arcuate path as indicated in Fig.3, to effect horizontal swinging movement of the depending arm 85through the link connectionflfi. Swinging movement of the arm 85 causesoscillatory movement of the fork to shift the beam in a forwarddirection as it passes 'aboveand below horizontal center whereby the rodcarrier of the beam hang er" is kept in a perpendicular line of travelto impart straight lift to the rods.

Oscillation of the beam also effects swinging of the pendulum weights H0about the axis of the trunnions In! and H12 from a position substantially below the axis of the trunnions when the beam is in itsuppermost position and where the effective leverage of the weights isonly sufficient to maintain stretch of the rods incidental to the weightof the fluid acting thereon. As the pin moves downwardly the pendulumcounterbalances swing upwardly to gradually apply a counterbalancingeffect on the weight of the rods as they move downwardly in the well. Asthe movement of the beam is reversed the pendulum weights swingdownwardly toward the dotted line position, Fig. 3, and as they crosshorizontal center, the effective leverage thereof gradually reduces asthe rods approach a stop prior to reversal of movement of the beam. 7

From the foregoing it is obvious that I have provided a pumping unitapplying a variable and differential speed. of the up and down strokesimparted to the rods and wherein the lifting forces are kept in axialalignment with the rods thereby avoiding bending tendency of the polishrod. i

It is also obvious that the rods are counterweighted by means of avariable applied counter- 1 balance to provide for smoother operation,reduced power consumption, and less failure 0 the rods.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: f

1. In a pumping unit of the character described, a fixed support, awalking beam, a link having one end pivotally mounted'on the support,means swingingly fulcruming the walking beam on the other end of thelink, means for oscillating the walking beam, 2. bell crank having afixed pivotal support, a link connecting one arm 1 of the bell crankwith the walking beam, a counterbalance weight on the other arm of thebell crank, and means connecting the bell crank with said link that ismounted on the fixed support to efiect shifting movement of the beamincidental to oscillation thereof.

2. A pumping unit of'the character described including a supportingframe, a standard on the supporting frame, a walking beam, meansswingingly fulcruming the walking beam on the standard, means foroscillating the walking beam, a bell crank, means pivotally supportingthe bell crank on said frame, a link connecting one arm of the bellcrankwith the walking beam at a point spaced from said swinging fulcrummeans,

a counterbalance weight on the other arm of the bell crank, and meansconnecting the bell crank with said fulcruming means to effect shiftinga movement of the beam incidental to pivotal movement of the bell crank.

3. A pumping unit of the character described including a supportingframe, a standard on the supporting frame, a walking beam, meansswingingly fulcrumlng the walking beam on the standard, a leverpivotally connected with the standard and having a guide track, a pitmanconnecting the lever with the beam, an operating crank hav ing a wristpin, a box for said wrist pin slidable in the guide track, a leverarm,means pivotally supporting the lever arm on said frame, a linkconnecting the lever arm with the walking beam,

and means connecting the lever arm with said fulcruming means to effectshifting movement of the beam.

4. A counterbalance for pumping units including' a bell crank having anarm adapted to be connected with a walking beam of a pumping;

.of the bell crank, and means on the bell crank for connecting a secondpumping unit.

6. A pumping unit of the character described including a standard, awalking beam, means pivotally mounting the walking beam. on thestandard, means for oscillating the walking beam including means, forapplying variable power tosaid beam, and a counterbalancing mechanismincluding a bell-crank lever having a counterbalance arm and an armpivotally connected with the walking beam, said arms of the bellcrankbeing arranged at an angle to each other for effecting variable momentsof counterbalance leverage in synchronism with said variable powermeans.

7. A pumping unit of the character described including a standard, awalking beam, means ,pivotally mounting the walking beam on thestandard, means for oscillating the walking beam,

a support, a bell-crank pivoted on the support and having acounterbalance arm and a second arm arranged at an angle to thecounterbalance arm, a counterbalance on said counterbalance arm, and alink havingone end pivotally con link being of sufficient length tomaintain said counterbalance arm in depending relation when the walkingbeam is at the upper limit of its movement whereby the moment of saidcounterbalance gradually increases to a maximum as the walking beamapproaches its lower limit.

8. A pumping unit of thecharacter described including a standard, a linkpivotally mounted on the standard, a walking beam pivoted tothe link, anarm rigidly depending from the link, a bell-crank lever, means pivotallysupporting the bell-crank lever, means connecting an arm of thebell-crank with the walking beam, a link connecting said. arm of thebell-crank lever with said depending arm, and a counterbalance onanother arm of said bell-crank lever.

9. A pumping unit of the character described including a supportingframe, a standard on the frame, a walking beam, means swinginglyfulcruming the walking beam on the standard, a lever pivotally connectedwith the standard and having a guide track, a pitman connecting thelever with the beam, an operating crank having ,nected with said secondarm and, having its other end connected with the walking beam, said awrist pin, a boss for said wristjpin slidable in theguide track, avariable moment counterbalance means connected withthe walking beam,

and means connecting said counterbalance means with said fulcrumingmeans to shift the walking EIRAM A. HOLZER,

